Cambro Portable Sink

Cambro Portable Sinks: What You Need to Know

Cambro handwashing stations streamline hand cleaning at outdoor locations, such as fairgrounds, campgrounds, parks and nature preserves, farmers markets, flea markets, water parks, and beaches. Indoors, these portable sinks can be placed around traffic hubs at offices, hospitals, hotels, and care facilities.

Designed to work without plumbing connections, portable handwashing stations provide a low-cost method for business owners to meet health department requirements without modifying the building or plumbing system. When preparing food in an outdoor catering environment, employees can use these sinks to wash their hands after handling raw meat, eggs, or seafood, as well as after using the restroom. Placing handwashing stations around any venue where food will be served helps prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses and promotes sanitary food-handling practices.

Common Questions About Cambro Handwashing Stations

What is a Cambro handwashing station?

A typical handwashing station consists of a water source, faucet, basin, soap dispenser, and paper towel holder. Because Cambro portable handwashing stations don't require plumbing connections, they can be placed in areas where no sinks are installed. Adding these mobile sinks to outdoor events, construction sites, and high-traffic areas inside hospitals and schools provides a way for visitors to quickly wash and dry their hands, reducing germ spread. Since sinks of this type are mobile, they can be moved around and repositioned in new areas, unlike plumbed sinks which are fixed in place. This is useful for accommodating changing foot traffic patterns, fluctuations in volume, and mobile services such as catering companies, traveling carnivals, and music festivals.

What items are required in a handwashing station?

To be effective, a handwashing station must provide clean water, hand soap, and a hand-drying method of some kind, such as paper towels. Most Cambro handwashing stations include built-in soap dispensers and paper towel dispensers, but these can also be purchased separately and added to the station. Rudimentary handwashing stations can consist of just two containers, one for dispensing clean water and one for catching greywater. For this type of model, it's a good idea to purchase soap and paper towel dispensers and install them near the handwashing station to ensure users can adequately cleanse and dry their hands during the wash process.

Are Cambro portable handwashing stations sanitary?

Cambro handwashing stations are effective at removing dirt and germs from the operator's hands when used correctly. Like any sink, frequently touched surfaces, such as faucets, soap dispensers, and handles, can collect traces of food, dirt, and germs; however, the soap and water should be effective at removing this residue during the handwashing process. Any handwashing station is more sanitary than no handwashing station, so if conventional hand sinks aren't available, portable sinks are the next best thing.

To amplify the cleaning power of portable handwash stations, consider placing a hand sanitizer dispenser nearby so guests can sanitize their hands after washing.

Do Cambro portable handwashing stations have hot water?

Some Cambro handwashing stations have hot water. Heated options may use electricity, batteries, or propane to heat the water. Unlike ambient washing stations, these units usually require an electrical outlet connection to work. If the sink has two basins, units with a heated water supply can be used to clean and sanitize dishes and utensils as well as hands. Since the water is heated when it's used, these units can produce as much or as little heated water as needed. These models can provide hot, cold, and warm water from a single tank.

For applications where hands need to be washed regularly for an extended period or dishes and utensils will also need to be cleaned, a heated Cambro handwashing station is a good choice.

Other handwashing stations feature insulated water tanks, which preserve the temperature of hot water that's added to the tank. Unlike units with a water heater, insulated tanks don't require a power source. On the other hand, the water stored in these tanks won't be as hot as water from a heated model, and the tank will eventually cool down even though it's insulated. Also, a single-tank unit will only be able to provide either hot or cold water, not both.

For short-term applications where no dishes or utensils are being washed, an insulated Cambro handwashing station is a cost-effective choice.

How do Cambro handwashing stations work?

Portable handwash stations generally have two tanks: one for holding fresh water and one for holding greywater. Water moves from the freshwater tank to the sink's faucet, where it's dispensed by the user. As the user rinses their hands, the used water falls into the sink basin and drains away into the wastewater tank. If the Cambro portable sink provides hot water, it can also contain a water heater and pump within the cabinet. The water from the freshwater tank will be heated by passing through the built-in water heater before reaching the faucet. Such units can be refilled several times by swapping out the water tanks when all the fresh water has been used.

Handwashing sinks can be heavy, especially when the water tanks are connected, so casters are often installed for support and mobility. Most units feature locking brakes to keep the sink from drifting while it's being used.

Where should I put Cambro portable handwashing stations?

It's a good idea to set up a handwashing station near each portable toilet at carnivals, fairgrounds, and construction sites, as well as adjacent to food tents where meals are purchased or consumed. Handwash stations can also be placed near trailheads at parks and nature preserves and should be placed throughout areas where food is being prepared or served in a catering environment.

Some operators place portable handwashing stations in high-traffic corridors and hallways at schools, offices, and hospitals to encourage frequent handwashing by students, visitors, and staff.

Any spot where a large number of people will congregate or pass by is a good candidate for a Cambro portable sink, along with any area where people will handle food, eat, drink, or use the restroom.

How many Cambro handwashing stations do I need?

Since they're not connected to plumbing, portable sinks have a limited amount of water. First, determine the number of users and then estimate how many times and how frequently they'll need to wash their hands. Compare these numbers to the total capacity of the water tanks inside the stations.

To accommodate a high volume of traffic that's spread out throughout the day, you can consider setting up fewer Cambro handwashing stations and purchasing extra water tanks to keep refilling the stations as they run dry. For a high volume of traffic that'll be concentrated in one spot, consider multiple units. Guests are more likely to wash their hands if there isn't a long line in front of the handwashing area.

The amount of water each visitor uses when washing their hands also affects how many stations will be needed and how often they must be refilled. It can be helpful to post signs instructing visitors how to use the stations, as well as training staff on handwashing station best practices.